Always Will
by Rule12H8r
Summary: Tiva. Ziva and their daughter attend Tony's funeral. Sad. Like really, really sad. Read and review. I hope you like him.


Ziva stood facing in mirror. Her black dress fit her beautifully, the Star of David necklace she always wore shone bright against it, glinting in the light just the same as her wedding ring, which she couldn't bring herself to take off. She stayed there, looking at the pictures tucked into the frame around the mirror and staring behind her at the reflection of their bedroom.

Some of his movies still stacked up on the shelf beside her books. His cologne still sat on the table near his side of the bed. Ziva had sprayed her pillow with it the past few nights. It was not the same as having him there with her, with his strong safe arms wrapped around her while she rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as she fell asleep, but it was a close as she could get. Ziva remained stone-faced until her eyes landed on one of the two things that could tear her heart out.

Their wedding picture. It still hung, tall and proud on the wall behind her. A few tears trailed down her face, but she quickly brushed them away. _No, not today._ She stared herself down, forcing back a sob.

Little footsteps sounded down the hall and stopped just inside her room.

"Do I look pretty Ima? I wore Daddy's favorite." Tali smiled. Their daughter was only four and the idea of her father being gone and never coming back was something she hadn't quiet grasped yet. Ziva's lower lip quivered as she knelt down and held her hand out to her daughter.

Tali walked over and stood in front of her mom.

"You look beautiful tateleh. I know your daddy is watching over you right now and he is very proud of you, you know that right? That Daddy still loves you?" Ziva asked holding Tali's hand and staring into the girl's eyes, exactly the same and Tony's.

Tali nodded. "I know Ima. Daddy's an angel in heaven now, right?"

Ziva nodded back, kissing the widow's peak on Tali's forehead. "That's right baby."

Ziva straightened, picking up her daughter and settling her on her hip. "Now let's go say goodbye to Daddy, okay?" Tali nodded against Ziva's neck.

The service was held outside. It was small and intimate. The only people there were the people that were closest to Tony. The service was short. The pastor spoke with not much to say. When he was done he asked who wanted to say something. Gibbs stood resting a hand on Ziva's shoulder and pressing a kiss to both her and Tali's curls before standing in front of everyone.

"Most of you know I'm a man of few words, not like Tony, so I'll make this quick. Tony was the best man I've ever worked with. I saw him grow from an immature fratboy into a husband and a father, and he's proven to be great at both. Tony was like a son to me and I'm proud of how far he's come. He was a good guy. He died saving someone else's life, doing his job, and doing what he loved. Thank you." Gibbs speech was more than anything anyone had ever heard him say at once. The pastor looked around the crowd, seeing if anyone else wanted to come up.

Tim stood and sauntered to the front.

"Tony was amazing. I worked with him for fifteen years and he never failed to impress me. He found a break through where no one else could. He kept us laughing at his movie quotes and his joking when a case got tough. He took a lot of headslaps for the rest of us. He showed me how to be a good agent and how to be a leader. Tony was an amazing man, and will always be remembered as one." Tim nodded to everyone, stepping back to the crowd, hugging Ziva and Tali on his way back to Abby, who was holding their son Tommy.

Abby was crying too hard to be able to say anything. The pastor went to wrap up the ceremony when Tali tugged on her mother's dress.

"Ima, I want to tell them about Daddy too." Tali insisted. Ziva saw the determination in her daughter's eyes and nodded.

"Do you want me to come up with you?" Tali shook her head and walked up in front of the group.

The four year old stood before the group of people, determined to share how proud she was of her dad.

"Hi everybody. I'm Tali Gianna DiNozzo. That's my daddy laying in there." She looked to the coffin behind her. "I love my daddy. He always takes care of me and Ima and he is nice to everyone. My daddy was the best dad anyone could have. He used to tuck me in at night and tell me bedtime stories and scare away all the monsters. He always used to cheer me up so I wouldn't be sad. Daddy made Ima not sad too. I know he loved me and Ima because he always made us smile and always shows me movies and tells me funny stories and he always kissed mommy and she would always smile. Ima doesn't want to come up here because she doesn't want me to see her sad, but Daddy loved her lots. Even when mommy was not happy daddy would make her feel better. Me and Ima love daddy and I know he's watching me now and that he's proud. Ima told me so. I love you daddy." Tali announced the last sentence louder than the rest, closing her eyes as she did.

Opening her eyes she smiled to everyone. Not a single person was not crying. Even Gibbs let a few tears slip. Ziva picked up Tali when she got back to her and they went into their own little world as the pastor said a few final words before the coffin was lowered into the ground.

"Daddy is very very proud of you tateleh, and so am I." Ziva reminded, holding Tali close. Tali leaned back from her mom, reaching her tiny palms out to wipe the tears dripping down Ziva's cheek.

They stood there together long after everyone else left. Tali fell asleep in Ziva's arms. The wind picked up and fallen flower petal from a nearby headstone blew away from its perch and landed at Ziva's feet.

Balancing Tali, Ziva reached down and picked up the petal, smiling to herself through her drying tears.

Ziva sniffled, feeling the flower in her hand. A white rose. The same flower Tony brought her on their first date. The same flowers used for her wedding bouquet. The same flowers they received in the hospital the day Tali was born. The same flowers Ziva and Tony planted last year in their yard. The same flowers they painted on Tali's lavender walls. They were Ziva's favorite and Tony was quick to figure that out, and bring them home whenever possible.

"I love you too Tony. I always will."


End file.
